Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

[csuniforms]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army--Illinois 90 day volunteers

The following Word document contains my draft for a paper on Illinois uniforms in the Civil War. This segment is for the 90-day volunteers. I am working on the Brigade uniform-- and all the gray uniforms through the 40th Illinois. This Word document article has no footnotes-- for those you gotta' wait.

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[Jim of The SRR]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

I have to admit Iwas going a little crazy with the 11th grey. It would be like saying we never landed on the moon. Or have we?

We are having a nice blizzard here in Hawkeye land!

That moon landing was REAL?!

Jim Butler

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

Thanks Tom, I was hoping you'd chime in.

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

hat

Jim,
No word on any surviving hats (Loomis is I believe the period vendor) but I have seen it on a couple other images believed to be Illinois soldiers. One being the 1st Ill. Cav. trooper I mentioned, this was published in Military Images though not the all-Illinois issue; the other was the hard image I posted that Nic Clark found of the soldier wearing his knapsack.


P.S.
I have seen an image, I believe at the state files in Springfield of an 8th Ill. soldier (Lytle Henline, if memory serves) wearing a short jacket (gray likely) but with a brass letter "K" attached to his collar. Obviously early war. He was killed at Vicksburg.

[csuniforms]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army-Whipple Hats

Hello, There was an aricle in one of the old issues of the North South Trader Magazine on patented folding brim hats. I remember it had an original patent drawing and pictures. I cant remember if it was Whipple or another contractor. The pictures were an advertisement for Army Officers and the benefits of the folding patented brim! The First Brigade received this style, but how long they kept them is an unknown. The hat at first glance seems flimsy. How long would the folding brim hold up in the field? The Whipples went the way of all those filter canteens and folding candlesticks on campaign. A good wool slouch hat and a plain old candle stuck on a board or bayonet did the trick. Filters!? a dip in the stream with a tin cup, let the flotsam settle, and boiled coffee over the fire killed all the germs!!! Rebel germs most of them!!

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

I've got copies of the Whipple cap's patent information here including schematics. For those of you who hate this ugly piece of early war headgear you can thank me for getting Bill Wickham to make a bunch of them almost ten years ago! These featured a rounded crown and brim wider than the Loomis caps (from their appearance in photos at least). They were produced by the Seamless Clothing Manufacturing Company in NYC and POSSIBLY to a lesser extent by others who followed the general pattern for the Whipple cap but made them from multiple pieces of felt sewn together.

The "Loomis folding cap" as issued to early war Illinois troops appears to be similar to the Whipple cap in overall design but we won't know for sure until an original surfaces. There is also a cap similar to the Loomis/Illinois folding cap that was used by Rush's Lancers early in the war...except that cap was dark blue.

Since we're talking about early Federal regiments in gray, does anyone have information about Michigan soldiers being clothed in this color? I've seen a small handful of very early war tintypes that depict Michigan men wearing what looks like gray jackets. It also seems that at the same time the Michigan men were also clothed in a wide variety of unique, apparently dark blue, state issue garments such as fatigue blouses with shoulder straps and jackets with shoulder straps, slash pockets, and trim on the collar like a frock coat.

[csuniforms]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army-Michigan

Hello, The lastest Company Journal of the Company of Military Historians has an article on early gray Michigan uniforms by Mr. Bill Carr. Get a copy through the Company Website. Just google Company of Military Historians and the site will direct you.--

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

Tom,

While you're here, can you shed any light on Illinois-issue 'frock' coats in gray? I've heard of the 13th Ill. maybe having them but I've not seen any facts or figures that I can recall. Or would that be more along the lines of 'something sent from the hometown' or given to the local boys from the local sewing committee as opposed to a state-bought item?

T'anks,


P.S.
Regarding Illinoisans in 'that' hat, here are three. One is 8th Ill. (the ginormous scan) and the other 1st Ill. Cav. The last one has no ID but is a dead-ringer for a Sucker in his 'brigade uniform' circa late 1861.

[csuniforms]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army--Hello, 13th Illinois

The 13th Illinois-- I have that information in my notes. But my notes are all bundled up in the attic since I moved here to Milwaukee. Yes the Regiments 13 thru 22 were issued either gray jackets or frock coats. The drawing of the Sergeant from the 15th Illinois in Military Equippage, Chapter on Illinois is an example of the Illinois Gray frock coat.-- Lots of Companies in these Regiments came with uniforms donated by their hometowns. Dittto for the first 7 Regiments. I have notes on these too, BUTTTT they are in the attic!!!! I promise someday to finish this project on Illinois uniforms.

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[roundshot]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

I posted this photo earlier under the Images section of this board, which shows the 13th Illinois in late 1862. The guy on the far right (front) still wears his state issue grey frock.

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

more on hats

Was digging through the files and came across an article by Ken Baumann regarding the diary of George Carrington, 11th Ill. Inf. which resides at Chicago Historical Society. It includes this passage:

Oct. 11 - "Drew new hats, we don't like them, they are grey with the sides turned up so they can be buttoned to the crown on each side, with a kind of beak in front. Austrian hats they call them."

Oct. 24 - "We bought red caps to wear instead of those Austrian hats."

:cry_smile

He also describes receiving gray coat fitting down the waist with a 'short frill or skirt' trimmed in light blue with gray pants - in May 1861. Red three point Mackinaw blankets, havelocks, rubber canteens, canvas haversacks.

[shooter13]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

I was just reading about the war in Missouri and the book mentioned the grey uniforms of Illinois, Iowa and Kansas milita units.

[GermanDraftee]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

In Capt. (Christian) Thielemann's German Cavalry (later 16th IL Cav, Co "A"), the officers originally wore gray jackets with black trim. The enlisted men had "red blouses, a la Garibaldi". (Illinois Staats-Zeitung, August 6, 1861.) The article states that enlisted men also wore black trousers. No specific mention is made of the officers' trousers, but I would hazard a guess that they were also black.

[ILYankee5]

Re: Grey Uniforms in the Union Army

I don't know about anyone else, but I am eating this stuff up! :):)